Erythrophleum suaveolens
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fdb3f3caed817237701 |
| Scientific name | Erythrophleum suaveolens |
| Authority | (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan |
| First published in | Taxon9: 194 (1960) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Erythrophleum suaveolens, a savanna‑growing legume of tropical Africa, is traditionally employed in several communities for medicinal preparations that involve infusions, decoctions, macerations or poultices. Among the Kikuyu of central Kenya, the African Herbal Pharmacopoeia 2020 records a bark decoction taken as a bitter tea to break fevers. In southwestern Nigeria, Van Wink & Wink 2015 describe the Yoruba preparing a bark infusion—often called “ogi‑ebi”—that is drunk as a tea to calm diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. The Sandawe of central Tanzania, as reported by Teuscher & Peters 2005, macerate the inner bark in water to produce a strong, bitter decoction used in judicial ordeal rites; they also grind the bark into a poultice applied directly to snake‑bite wounds. In each case the part used is the outer bark, sometimes the inner bark, and the preparations are taken by mouth or applied topically.
Bark decoction tea for fever: weigh 10 g of air‑dried outer bark, place it in a saucepan with 250 mL of clean water, bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and steep an additional 5 minutes, then strain through a fine cloth. The resulting liquid is a dark brown tea with a strong bitter taste; one cup (≈200 mL) may be taken up to three times daily while fever persists. Because the bark contains potent cardiac‑active alkaloids, the drink should not exceed three cups per day, and it must not be used by pregnant or nursing women, children under 12, or anyone with a history of heart disease, severe hypertension, or recent cardiac medication. Over‑dosage can cause nausea, vomiting, and dangerous cardiac irregularities.
Bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens is rich in indole alkaloids that give the plant its characteristic bitterness. The best‑documented constituents are the cardio‑active alkaloids erythrophleine, iso‑erythrophleine, and their methylated derivatives, which act on sodium‑potassium pumps in heart tissue similar to cardiac glycosides. In addition, the bark contains moderate amounts of hydrolysable tannins that impart astringent properties useful for diarrhoea, and a suite of saponins that may contribute to mild expectorant activity. These compounds together account for the fever‑reducing, gastrointestinal‑soothing and, in high doses, poisonous actions recorded in ethnobotanical accounts.
Recent pharmacological work is examining the cardio‑active alkaloids for possible development of new heart‑failure therapies, and the plant’s bark continues to be sold in herbal markets across West and Central Africa as a traditional fever remedy.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Erythrophleum suaveolens is utilized primarily as a heavy, durable timber. It is also employed as a source of tannin-rich bark used in leather tanning.
Industrial and craft applications:
Bark extracts rich in hydrolyzable and condensed tannins are used in the leather industry as tanning agents. The timber’s high density, hardness, and natural decay resistance make it suitable for heavy structural uses such as poles, posts, bridge components, railroad sleepers, mine timbers, heavy flooring, and marine installations.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No food or beverage uses are documented for this taxon.
Colorants and tanning:
The bark supplies tannins suitable for vegetable tanning, providing leather with a characteristic brown color and improved durability.
Wood and fiber:
The heartwood is reddish brown to dark brown with fine to medium texture. It is extremely heavy and hard, with high strength properties and natural resistance to decay and insects, making it a preferred material for outdoor and load‑bearing applications.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No fragrance or cosmetic uses are documented.
Properties relevant to use:
Timber properties include very high density and hardness; natural durability and resistance to decay and insect attack; good dimensional stability under load; and coarse, straight grain with moderate workability despite blunting effects. Bark properties include high tannin content suitable for leather tanning.
Standards and regulation:
Trade may be subject to national forest regulations; as of the latest assessments the species is evaluated as Least Concern by IUCN. No ISO/ASTM standards are documented for the specific raw materials from this species in the sources consulted.
Sustainability and sourcing:
The wood is collected from natural forests across West and Central Africa, often through selective harvesting. Small‑scale local usage and low market volumes limit pressure at continental scale, though localized depletion can occur.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Erythrophleum guineense | G.Don | Gen. Hist.2: 424 (1832) |
| Fillaea suaveolens | Guill. & Perr. | Fl. Seneg. Tent.: 242 (1832) |
| Mavia judicialis | G.Bertol. | Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna2: 570 (1850) |
| Afzelia grandis | hort. ex Loudon | J.C.Loudon, Hort. Brit.: 186 (1830) |
| Erythrophleum judiciale | Proctor | Amer. J. Pharm., ser. 2, 18: 195 (1852) |
| Erythrophleum ordale | Bolle | W.C.H.Peters, Naturw. Reise Mossambique6(1): 10 (1861) |
| Mavia judicia | Walp. | Ann. Bot. Syst. 2: 461 (1852) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | sasswood |
| English | forest ordeal tree |
| Afrikaans | bosoordeelboom |
| Bambara | tali |
| Croatian | crveno vodeno drvo |
| kcg | a̱sap |
| Chinese | 几内亚格木 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Sudan
-
South Tropical Africa
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
-
West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Burkina
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mali
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Gabon
- Zaïre
-
East Tropical Africa
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Sri Lanka
-
Malesia
- Malaya
-
Indian Subcontinent
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000194829 |
| UNII | 49KZU5X192 |
| USDA Plants | ERSU14 |
| Tropicos | 13051014 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:494641-1 |
| The Plant List | ild-41460 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 753426 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 162772 |
| IUCN Red List | 62025437 |
| IPNI | 494641-1 |
| iNaturalist | 363339 |
| GBIF | 2971196 |
| Freebase | /m/0j_5qz9 |
| EPPO | EYQSU |
| EOL | 416869 |
| USDA GRIN | 100131 |
| Wikipedia | Erythrophleum_suaveolens |
| CMAUP | NPO13887 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Protoberberine alkaloids and derivatives | |||||
| Berberine | 2353 | Click to see | 336.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Corypalmine | 11186895 | Click to see COC1=C(C2=C(CC3C4=CC(=C(C=C4CCN3C2)O)OC)C=C1)OC | 341.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Protopine alkaloids | |||||
| Allocryptopine | 98570 | Click to see | 369.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Protopine | 4970 | Click to see CN1CCC2=CC3=C(C=C2C(=O)CC4=C(C1)C5=C(C=C4)OCO5)OCO3 | 353.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Phenanthrenes and derivatives / Hydrophenanthrenes | |||||
| 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl (2E)-2-[(1R,4aS,4bR,8S,8aS,9R,10aR)-8-acetyloxy-9-hydroxy-1,8-dimethyl-10-oxo-3,4,4a,4b,5,6,7,8a,9,10a-decahydro-1H-phenanthren-2-ylidene]acetate | 162877260 | Click to see | 435.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97155-3 |
| 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl 2-(8-acetyloxy-9-hydroxy-1,8-dimethyl-10-oxo-3,4,4a,4b,5,6,7,8a,9,10a-decahydro-1H-phenanthren-2-ylidene)acetate | 162877259 | Click to see | 435.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97155-3 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids | |||||
| 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl (2E)-2-[(1R,4aR,4bR,7S,8aR,10aS)-7-hydroxy-1,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-10-oxo-1,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,10a-decahydrophenanthren-2-ylidene]acetate | 162988468 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCC(C(C3CC2=O)(C)C)O)C | 405.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97155-3 |
| 2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl (3-hydroxy-14-methyl-7-oxopodocarpan-13-ylidene)acetate | 118078 | Click to see | 405.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97155-3 |
| 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl 2-(7,10-dihydroxy-1,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-3,4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,10,10a-decahydro-1H-phenanthren-2-ylidene)acetate | 101054 | Click to see | 407.60 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19490320720 https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19400230195 |
| Cassaidine | 5281266 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCC(C(C3CC2O)(C)C)O)C | 407.60 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19490320720 https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19400230195 |
| Cassaine | 5281267 | Click to see | 405.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Cassaine, sulfate | 54603654 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCC(C(C3CC2=O)(C)C)O)C.OS(=O)(=O)O | 503.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Cassamine | 12302503 | Click to see | 433.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19490320720 |
| Erythrophlamine | 72941436 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCC(C(C3CC2=O)(C)C(=O)OC)O)C | 449.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19490320720 |
| Erythrophleguine | 5281271 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCCC(C3C(C2=O)O)(C)C(=O)OC)C | 449.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.2307/4117899 |
| methyl (1R,2S,4aR,4bS,7Z,8R,8aR,10aR)-7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-2-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163190125 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCC(C(C3CC2=O)(C)C(=O)OC)O)C | 449.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3891/ACTA.CHEM.SCAND.22-2835 |
| methyl (1R,2S,4aR,4bS,8R,8aR,10aR)-7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-2-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163011254 | Click to see | 449.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3891/ACTA.CHEM.SCAND.22-2835 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bR,7E,8R,8aR,9R,10aR)-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-10-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163186401 | Click to see | 435.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bR,8R,8aR,9R,10aR)-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-10-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 162866400 | Click to see | 435.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,7E,8R,8aR,10aR)-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9,10-dioxo-3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10a-octahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163188636 | Click to see | 433.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,7E,8R,8aR,9R,10aS)-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10,10a-decahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163187556 | Click to see | 421.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,7E,8R,8aS,9S,10aR)-7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10,10a-decahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 54607075 | Click to see | 435.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3891/ACTA.CHEM.SCAND.22-2835 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,7E,8R,8aS,9S,10aR)-9-hydroxy-7-[2-[2-hydroxyethyl(methyl)amino]-2-oxoethylidene]-1,4a,8-trimethyl-3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10,10a-decahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 54606895 | Click to see | 421.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,7Z,8R,8aS,9R,10aR)-7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-10-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163057917 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCCC(C3C(=O)C2O)(C)C(=O)OC)C | 449.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3891/ACTA.CHEM.SCAND.22-2835 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,8R,8aR,10aR)-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9,10-dioxo-3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10a-octahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163058344 | Click to see | 433.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,8R,8aR,9R,10aS)-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10,10a-decahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 162955655 | Click to see | 421.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aR,4bS,8R,8aS,9S,10aR)-7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10,10a-decahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 24196368 | Click to see | 435.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3891/ACTA.CHEM.SCAND.22-2835 |
| methyl (1S,4aS,4bS,7E,8R,8aR,10aR)-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163188929 | Click to see | 419.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aS,4bS,7E,8R,8aR,10aR)-7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-1,4a,8-trimethyl-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163191166 | Click to see | 433.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aS,4bS,8R,8aR,10aR)-1,4a,8-trimethyl-7-[2-[2-(methylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163069133 | Click to see | 419.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (1S,4aS,4bS,8R,8aR,10aR)-7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-1,4a,8-trimethyl-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163051779 | Click to see | 433.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| methyl (2E)-2-[(1S,4bS,7S,8aR)-7-hydroxy-1,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-10-oxo-1,3,4,5,6,7,8a,9-octahydrophenanthren-2-ylidene]acetate | 162852851 | Click to see | 346.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97155-3 |
| Methyl 2-(7-hydroxy-1,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-10-oxo-1,3,4,5,6,7,8a,9-octahydrophenanthren-2-ylidene)acetate | 162852850 | Click to see | 346.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97155-3 |
| Methyl 7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-1,4a,8-trimethyl-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 117228 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCCC(C3CC2=O)(C)C(=O)OC)C | 433.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19490320720 |
| Methyl 7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-2-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-9-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 73656827 | Click to see | 449.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/HLCA.19490320720 |
| Methyl 7-[2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]-2-oxoethylidene]-9-hydroxy-1,4a,8-trimethyl-10-oxo-2,3,4,4b,5,6,8,8a,9,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1-carboxylate | 163057916 | Click to see CC1C2C(CCC1=CC(=O)OCCN(C)C)C3(CCCC(C3C(=O)C2O)(C)C(=O)OC)C | 449.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3891/ACTA.CHEM.SCAND.22-2835 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Phytolaccoside E | 125210 | Click to see | 827.00 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Oxosteroids / 16-oxosteroids | |||||
| 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl (2Z)-2-[(1R,4bR,7S,8R,8aR,10aS)-8-acetyloxy-7-hydroxy-1,4b,8-trimethyl-10-oxo-1,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,10a-decahydrophenanthren-2-ylidene]acetate | 5317211 | Click to see | 449.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / O-glycosyl compounds | |||||
| 4-ethenyl-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-5,6-dihydro-3H-pyrano[3,4-c]pyran-8-one | 15559483 | Click to see | 356.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CBER.19711041118 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzazepines | |||||
| Ribasine | 5459059 | Click to see CN1C2CC3=CC4=C(C=C3C25CC6=C(C1O5)C7=C(C=C6)OCO7)OCO4 | 351.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Isoquinolines and derivatives / Benzylisoquinolines | |||||
| (+)-Codamine | 20056510 | Click to see | 343.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (S)-Laudanosine | 73397 | Click to see CN1CCC2=CC(=C(C=C2C1CC3=CC(=C(C=C3)OC)OC)OC)OC | 357.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |